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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29274324">relocation</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/possiblyaperson/pseuds/possiblyaperson'>possiblyaperson</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ender's Game - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 03:48:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>997</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29274324</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/possiblyaperson/pseuds/possiblyaperson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Moving on and away from Ender.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Peter Wiggin &amp; Valentine Wiggin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>relocation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>wrote this a while ago for school ¯\_(ツ)_/¯</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They didn’t celebrate Ender’s seventh birthday. Only Valentine did, huddled in the corner of her room as she clutched a candle, Ender’s name carved into the melting wax as its warmth enveloped her like a worn blanket. When they wrote letters with no reply, no sign that Ender was still alive, they had all but given up, letting the frequency of their letters dwindle away as they forsook his existence. </p><p>The next day passed as normal, and neither Peter nor her parents showed the slightest sign of remembering. She went through school again, the cloud of Ender’s absence persistently looming over her, before shutting herself in her room to work. </p><p>It was at dinnertime that her parents told them. </p><p>“We’re moving to North Carolina,” Father said. Valentine put down her fork. </p><p>Mother continued. “We’ve already chosen the house, so all we need to do is pack and sell this one. It’s a lovely place, with a large backyard and lots of trees. We think being out in the nature will do you two some good.” Her eyes flickered to Peter. He noticed and simply followed Valentine’s example in putting his fork down, appearing to listen intently as if he wasn’t from the start. </p><p>“When will we be moving?” Valentine asked. </p><p>Father answered. “In around a month, if everything goes well.” </p><p>It briefly occurred to Valentine to turn, to share a bemused look with Ender, but she squashed the thought as soon as it popped up. Ender was gone. All that lay to her side was Peter. </p><p>It wasn’t a coincidence that they decided to move right after Ender’s birthday. The passing of his birthday was a mark in the passage of time, a sign that Ender was gone, certainly never coming back, and the decision to relocate was only cementing that. They didn’t expect him to ever return. They were abandoning him.</p><p>“And where,” Peter said, “in North Carolina?”</p><p>“Greensboro,” Mother answered. “Now, I want you two to be good, okay? You’ll be going to a new school, so be nice and try to make friends.” Her eyes darted toward Peter again. “Be respectful and work hard, okay?” </p><p>Valentine nodded, but Peter simply pretended to ignore them and started to eat his pasta again. “It’s a good school,” Father added. “We checked.”</p><p>It didn’t mean anything. Under Hegemony’s education laws, all public schools were certified “good schools.” They were only trying to make their idea of abandoning Ender seem tempting. </p><p>Well, it wasn’t working. She’d comply with their demands, pack up and move like a good girl, but she wouldn’t give up on Ender. Not Ender, her precious little brother and only true friend. </p><p>“I’m going to start packing up,” she said, and cleared her plate, scraping her unfinished food off. Usually, Valentine was level-headed enough to not waste food, but her insides were turning and she wanted to get away as soon as possible. </p><p>Valentine went straight to her room and opened the bottom drawer of her dresser, pushing back her clothes to uncover what she had left of Ender’s possessions. </p><p>Worn clothes. Books. Toys. Even the bugger mask that Peter had so often made Ender wear. Valentine kept as much as she could, stealing it from his and Peter’s shared room the day after he left. Mother and Father wanted to pass them down to Peter, but she wouldn’t let their last physical reminder of her little brother fall into his hands. </p><p>I won’t forget you, she had thought. I won’t let Peter taint your memory. I’ll <em>honor</em> you, Ender. </p><p>And she had. More than any of her family members, she had done her best to cherish her brother’s memory. With this in mind, she took out her suitcase and started to carefully pack her brother’s former belongings. </p><p>She became aware of a presence outside her door. “Go away, Peter.” </p><p>“Still hanging onto the Third’s things? I thought you were better than this, Valentine.” </p><p>Valentine continued packing, not looking up as she started arranging the books. Peter was still somewhat frightening, but Ender’s absence had lessened that. He was the same as ever at school, but at home, with Valentine, his cruelty almost never escalated into physical violence. “It’s not bad to remember your family, Peter.” </p><p>“You don’t need those silly trinkets to remember him.” </p><p>“Doesn’t mean I can’t keep them anyway.” </p><p>Peter scoffed but didn’t say anymore, unmoving from his position at Valentine’s door. Valentine finished packing, the mementos fitting like puzzle pieces, and covered it with some of her own clothes. She wouldn’t let her parents know how much she cared. She zipped up the suitcase. </p><p>Peter was still there, waiting. </p><p>Valentine turned around. “Do you think it’ll be nice in Greensboro?” </p><p>Peter was exceptional at covering up his emotions, but the way his eyes focused on her told her that he was at least somewhat surprised by her question. She was, too. Usually, this was the type of thing she’d ask Ender, not Peter. “It won’t be any different,” Peter said. “We’ll still go to school. We’ll still live together. Ender will still be gone.” </p><p>“Mother seems to think being out in nature will help you.”</p><p>“Maybe it will,” Peter said. He didn’t elaborate. </p><p>“I hope I’ll be able to make new friends,” Valentine said meaninglessly. She didn’t know what she was doing. It was Valentine and <em> Ender </em> who engaged in friendly chatter, not Valentine and <em> Peter </em>. It was wrong. Peter could never replace her sweet little brother, and she shouldn’t be trying to find a replacement in him. </p><p>Peter sounded dismissive. “Of course you will. You’re smart. You can figure out what people take pride in, and use that to flatter and persuade them. People will be falling at your feet.” </p><p>Valentine bit back a sarcastic “thanks” and stood up, dusting off her dress. “I’m going to get a box,” she said, and walked past Peter. </p><p>Peter was still there when she returned, and for once, she didn’t mind the company.</p><p> </p>
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